Tube-loosener device



April 27, 1954 s. BERGER TUBE-LOOSENER DEVICE Filed NOV. 3, 1950 E m weB E U M A s Patented Apr. 27, 1954 UNITED STATES FATENT OFFICETUBE-LOOSENER DEVICE Samuel Berger, Little Silver, N. J.

Application November 3, 1950, Serial No. 194,003

(Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

see. 266) 7 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or forthe Government for governmental purposes, without the payment of anyroyalty thereon.

This invention relates to improvements in tube-loosener devices, and morparticularly to means in the form of a cam-operated unit associated witha conventional tube and socket and operable to force an initial movementof the tube axially away from the socket whereby the terminal prongs ofthe tube are at least partially released from the grip of the socket.

Examples of tube looseners to which this invention relates are shown inBritish Patent No. 445,486, issued April 14, 1936, to Reginald J.Miller, and in my copending application filed August 1, 1950, andbearing Serial Number 177,113, now Patent No. 2,635,129, issued April14, 1953.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a tube-loosenerdevice which can be readily combined and work with any conventionalsocket and the corresponding conventional tube.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

For the purpose of illustrating this invention, an embodiment thereof isshown in the drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is an isometric view of atube-loosener device constructed and operated in accordance with theinvention;

Figs. 2, 2a and 2b are enlarged, fragmentary views partly in section andillustrative of the principle and manner of operation of the improvedtube-lcosener device, the section being taken on the line 22 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, of Fig. 2, but with the tuberemoved from the socket; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2 but on a reduced scale,and illustrative of a modification.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 50 designates a conventional tubesocket, into which is plugged the tube l i.

The specific embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 1 to 3 isshown as comprising a ring it seated on the chassis base it and emracingthe base of a conventional tube H, the bulb or envelope of the latteroverhanging and engaging the flange l2a integral with and disposed atthe top of ring I2.

Hooked into the chassis base it or otherwise secured thereto is a framemember it for retaining an eccentric or cam roller 16 and holding thelatter in proper position with respect to socket I0, before tube H isinserted into the latter. For this purpose, the retainer I5 is providedwith circular, flexible fingers [5a which fit loosely about the rolleror cylinder I 6 and yield to allow for freedom of movement of the latterduring the tube-loosening action thereof.

Ring 12 is provided with arms I? and i8 rigid with respect thereto andembracing and pivotally connected to roller l6 by pins It or theequivalent, the later being disposed on an axis eccentric to the centerof the roller, as shown. Integral, respectively, with ring 12 and roller16 are lugs 20 and 2| protruding therefrom. Fixed to or integral withroller I5, is a lever 22.

With a tube H inserted into socket It, and with the parts in theirrespective positions as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the tube is loosenedor at least partly lifted out of the socket by pressing down on the fiatend 22a of lever 22. The occurring clockwise rotation of roller Itbrings a higher portion of the cam or eccentric surface thereof aroundinto engagement with the adjacent fiat surface I 512 of member I5, andalso places the eccentric pins [9 in the higher position shown in Fig.2a. The tube 9 I is thereby tilted slightly to loosen and partlywithdraw the adjacent prongs thereof from socket 10, as also shown inFig. 2a. The lug 2| is now in position immediately at, or about toengage lug 20. When lug 2! engages lug 26, as shown in Fig. 2b, ring I2and roller I 6 are in eifect a single rigid part provided with a handle22 rigid with respect to or fixed to such part. Continued downwardpressure at 22a causes further clockwise rotation of roller is to raisepins is still higher, whereupon ring I2 and the tube 1 seated on andengaged by flange 12a are lifted vertically and at least to such anextent that the tube is released from the grip of the socket, and canthen be removed easily by hand.

In the embodiment of the invention shownin Fig. 4, the upper, peripheraledge of the tube socket i0 is recessed or shouldered, as shown, toreceive or accommodate a ring l2 which corresponds to and serves thesame purpose as the ring [2 in Figs. 1 to 3. The top surface of ring I2is flush with the top surface of socket It! so that with the tubeinserted into the socket, the base H of the tube engages the top surfaceof ring [2. In Fig. 4 the relative positions of the parts are the sameas in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and the operating or tube-loosening action isthe same. That is, with a conventional tube inserted in socket It, it isloosened or at least partly lifted out of the socket by pressing down onthe fiat end 22a of lever 22. The occurring clockwise rotation of rolleris lifts ring 12 at an angle to the top surface of socket l0. Since thebase H of the tube overhangs and is engaged by ring l2, the tube islikewise tilted, as in Fig. 2a, to loosen and partly Withdraw theadjacent prongs thereof from socket l9. Continued downward pressure at22a to the advanced position as shown in Fig. 2b, lifts ring l2 arid thetube vertically to release the latter from the grip of the socket.

Retainer l5 serves the purpose of holding ring l2 in position oversocket in before insertion of a tube into the latter. Also, the base ofthe retainer provides the smooth, fiat surface [5b for the cam oreccentric surface of roller 15 to engage as the latter rotates clockwiseduring the tube-loosening action.

While but one embodiment of this invention has been disclosed it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that various-modifications suchas in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts are possible withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a chassis base, a tube socket fixed to said base, atube inserted in said socket, a ring seated on said base and disposedabout the base of said tube and providing a seat for the latter, acylinder, retaining means fixed with respect to said chassis base and inengagement with said cylinder for retaining said cylinder and allowingsaid cylinder to rotate therein, arms connecting said ring and saidcylinder and supportin the latter in a position adjacent to said,

chassis base and for rotary movement about an axis eccentric to thecylinder axis and remote from and substantially perpendicular to thetube axis, the outside diameter of said cylinder being sufiicient tocause the latter to function as an r eccentric with respect to saidchassis base upon an initial rotary movement of said cylinder in a givendirection about said axis thereby to force said ring and said tube to aposition tilted with respect to said socket, and a lug afiixed to saidcylinder and operable incident to further rotary movement of the latterin said direction to engage said ring thereby to impart substantiallyaxial movement to the latter and to said tube in the direction away fromsaid socket.

2. In a tube-loosening device of the character described, a ringengageable with a tube to impart substantially axial movement thereto, acylinder, retaining means supporting said cylinder and allowingresilient movement thereof about its axis, arms connecting said ring andsaid cylinder and supporting thelatter for rotary movement about an axiseccentric to the cylinder axis, and a lug aiiixed to said cylinder andoperable incident to said rotary movement of the latter to engage saidring and to impart thereto movement for the purpose aforesaid.

3. A device for facilitating the removal of a tube having a base andenvelope from a socket fixed in a chassis base, comprising a ring forenaging the base of said tube and having a pair of arms extendingoutwardly therefrom, a cylinder havin a pair of aligned pivot pointsdisplaced from the center and respectively located on the opposite baseportions thereof, said arms being respectively pivoted on one of saidpivot points, a flexible frame fixed with respect to said base andfitting about said cylinder for fixing said cylinder for rotationalmovement with respect to said chassis base, a lug protruding from saidcylinder serving to engage said ring, and lever means connected to saidcylinder for imparting rotational movement thereto, whereby said ringmoves eccentrically with respect to said cylinder when said cylinder isrotated until said lug engages said ring and thereby imparts axialmovement to said ring with respect to said socket.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said ring is seated on saidchassis base and embraces the base portion and bears against theenvelope portion of said tube.

5. A device according to claim 3, wherein said ring is recessed withinsaid chassis base and bears against the base portion of said tube.

6. A device for facilitating the removal of a tube having a base andenvelope from a socket fixed in a chassis base, comprising a cylinderhaving a fulcrum point on the base portion and displaced from the axisthereof, a flexible frame fixed with respect to said base and fittingabout said cylinder for fixing said cylinder for rotational movementwith respect to said chassis base, a first lever arm pivotally connectedto said cylinder on said fulcrum and engaging the base portion of saidtube, a second lever arm connected to said cylinder for impartingrotational movement thereto, and a lug protruding from said cylinder andadapted to engage said first lever arm after a predetermined amount ofrotation of said cylinder, whereby said first lever arm moveseccentricalh with respect to said cylinder. until said lug engages saidfirst lever arm and thereby imparts axial movement to said first leverarm with respect to said socket, when said cylinder is rotated by saidsecond lever arm.

7. A tube lifting device for a tube mounted in a socket comprising, ahollow retainer, a rotatable member mounted within said retainer, a tubelifting member eccentrically pivoted on said rotatable member, saidhollow retainer secured relative to said socket, pivot limiting meansassociated with said rotatable member and said tube lifting member tocause both said rotatable member and said tube lifting member to pivottogether to move said tube lifting member against said tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,476,735 Johnson July 19, 1949 2,541,294 Ronci Feb. 13, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 445,486 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1936

